The British Dental Association (BDA) has joined a cohort of healthcare providers to lobby the Government for increased investment in primary care services.
The BDA is working alongside The British Medical Association, Community Pharmacy England, the Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee, and the Association for Primary Care Audiology Providers to make the case for investment into primary care across Parliament.
At the recent Moving from Crisis to Recovery - Future of Primary Care Parliamentary event, MPs were reminded that primary care is the foundation of the health and care system and the front door to the NHS.
And they were warned that if primary care continues to be underprioritised and underfunded compared with the rest of the NHS, and relative to its costs,access and patient health will continue to be put at risk.
The four calls to action for Government are:
Helen Maguire, MP and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for primary care and cancer, who sponsored the event, said: “Primary care is the front door to our NHS, but is under increasing pressure.
“The Government must provide comprehensive investment to secure a sustainable future for the NHS and its primary care services.”
MPs are being asked to urge Government to support these objectives and to take a series of actions to call for direct political intervention to secure along-term sustainable future for the primary care sector.
“We’ve been told that primary care is heart of the NHS and that now is the time to shift the focus from hospital to the high street”, said BDA chair, Eddie Crouch.
“Soundbites are all well and good. But what tens of millions of our patients need is real commitment, underpinned by sustainable investment.”